


Sokka knows Zuko, really

by species_baby



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Toph and Aang are only mentioned, abuse is mentioned btw, but its literally one sentence, confused Sokka, first fic and idk how to tag, idk - Freeform, inspired by towards the sun, iroh joins the gaang instead, no beta we die like men, read it, throwing up is mentioned, which is such a good fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29058429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/species_baby/pseuds/species_baby
Summary: Sokka knows Zuko the moment he sees him. He knows what he's about and what he will be about. Sokka does not stop to think that Zuko is confusing and confused.basically a fic that takes plot points from Towards the Sun by MuffinLance but the entire time Sokka is convinced he knows Zuko.
Relationships: Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), mentioned Sokka/Yue (Avatar)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 246





	Sokka knows Zuko, really

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Towards the Sun](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19252807) by [MuffinLance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffinLance/pseuds/MuffinLance). 



> Literally I read Towards the Sun and cried and then read it two more times. It's such a genius fic and idea. MuffinLance is an incredible writer. Also also this is literally my first time finishing a fic and I don't even like it the much. I'm considering writing an alternate ending that's more canon complaint but idk. If anyone reads this hope you enjoy the work that came from me procrastinating history!

Sokka is good at figuring people out. You could call it a gift. He knew everyone in his village like the back of his hand and he could guess, correctly might he add, how each of them would respond in any given situation. Sokka knew people and he was smart with people. (It was kinda his thing).

So, Sokka knew exactly who Zuko was the moment that the hotheaded prince had crashed his stupid, ugly, mean Fire Nation ship into Sokka’s beautiful watchtower. He had Zuko pinned the moment Zuko grabbed Gran Gran by her collar and held her up in front of the village. He knew who Zuko was when Sokka finally snapped back to his senses and heard what the prince was saying. 

“Bring me the Avatar! I know you’re hiding him!” Given, at the time Sokka didn’t know Zukos name or the fact that he was royalty. But how was he supposed to guess this angry teenager's lineage from one unfair and frankly humiliating fight. 

Regardless, Sokka could tell by Zuko's clothes and his angry shouting orders that he was a child who was given a ship and a stupid little mission for fun. He was probably the son of a rich chief, (Sokka doesn’t know how ranking works in the Fire Nation. Why would he want to know that? The Fire Nation are evil incarnate, Sokka will stay as far away from them as he can, thank you), anyway, he was probably the son of some rich chief and he was finding joy in terrorizing a village who had lost almost everything already. Good thing he was deluded and searching for the Avatar. Good thing he wasn’t going after Katara. Bad thing, he was going after Aang, because apparently Aang just so happens to be the _Avatar_. Sokka knew he was hiding something.

They escape Zuko and kinda destroy his ship and Sokka tries not to think about how close they left him to the village.

He doesn’t know whether to feel relieved or angry when Zuko shows up at Kyoshi. Zuko makes the choice for him when he starts burning it to the ground. Stupid fire benders and their stupid fire. Not for the first time and definitely not for the last, Sokka wishes travelling with the Avatar wasn’t putting a huge target on their backs. 

Sokka hates Zuko, he does, but he hates Zhao more. Zhao is evil and ugly and has gross sideburns. And Zhao feels like a threat. Zuko had been chasing them and yelling about honor but Zuko was also just an angry teenager who was on some world tour paid for by his rich Fire Nation family. Zhao was a General, who had a goal and drive to do whatever he needed to achieve it. 

Sokka thinks they should be staying as far away from Zhao as they possibly can so of course, _of course_ Aang needs to go to the Fire Nation to meet with his past life, whatever that means. It's not Sokka's job to understand all the Avatar-y stuff, it's Sokka’s job to make sure his way too brave little sister and the Avatar don’t die while they’re busy world-saving. 

So here they are, in _the Fire Nation_. And surprise surprise General Sideburns and Teenage Jerkbander are there too. And although Sokka was distantly aware that the Fire Nation was large, so there had to be tension among some of the individuals, he was completely unprepared for the pure vitriol between Zuko and Zhao. He was also completely unprepared to learn that Zuko was the prince. The prince of the Fire Nation. He was banished, whatever that means but Sokka had to update his profile of Zuko.

Zuko was the rich prince of a nation filled with evil, and he was on a little proving himself mission. Sokka was sure there was some discrepancy between banishment in the Water Tribe and banishment in the Fire Nation. Because in the Water Tribe it was a permanent kinda you fucked up and can never come home thing. In the Fire Nation, it appeared to be a little “become a man" mission where evil children were given evil ships by evil Dads and hunted whatever target would bring them the most glory back home.

So yeah, Sokka knew Zuko. 

_He doesn’t think about the fact that Zhao called him a disgrace. He doesn’t hear the violence in Zhao's tone. And he especially doesn’t notice that Zuko was left in that volcano to burn with the lava._ He just doesn’t have time. He is busy escaping a _volcano._

Zuko shows up at the North Pole. When Yue dies Sokka thinks, just for a moment and not for the last time, that they should have left Zuko to die in the snow. He was the prince of horrible fire benders who killed his mom and took his dad away and destroyed people's lives and- and killed beautiful, wonderful, too young Yue. He had kissed her. He had kissed her and now his lips felt numb. Sokka didn’t like to look at the moon anymore. So yeah, he thinks they should have left Prince Jerkbender. He was horrible and he was terrifying. Aang had nightmares about him and Sokka thinks the world might be better with one less shouty fire bender.

He feels guilty for thinking those things after the fact. He remembers that Zuko is a teenager. And he remembers how Zuko was a menace, but a menace who didn’t _kill_ people for whatever reason. He was an anomaly in that sense because Sokka knew the Fire Nation bred murderers. 

After the North they don’t see him. Zuko is gone and Sokka is relieved until he is replaced by Crazy Blue Fire (who happens to be his little sister). Sokka wishes for Zuko back. Because he was right about Zuko being an anomaly and the Fire Nation breeding murderers. Crazy Blue Fire had no qualms identifying and taking advantage of weakness. She was intimidating and truly terrifying in a way Zuko could never be, in a way no teenager should ever be. She made him nervous for Aang to face the Fire Lord. 

Sokka wishes he hadn’t wished for Zuko back. Aang _died_ , Katara is angry all the time, and Dad is back but he’s different… in the silent way he was after Mom died. When Aang is awake and Katara less angry they tell him about Zuko. Hakoda just looks contemplative and asks, “Is it true? About the scar?” 

Sokka scoffs, “He has a big ugly scar alright,” Hakoda looks disgusted for whatever reason, “it makes him look a little more intimidating than he should be.” Sokka then laughs, “But that goes away when he opens his mouth, he sounds like an overdramatic play character!” Hakoda chuckles in a way that indicates to Sokka he didn’t find the joke funny. Sokka knows it's not his best work but hey. He wilts a little and watches as his dad walks, like a ghost, to Bato. They talk and Sokka wonders why they could possibly look so grim. 

Katara had helped him tell Dad about Zuko as a whole, but later she tells just him about the crystal catacombs and Sokka hates him even more.

Zuko is a privileged, lying prince of jerbenders who got bored of “honorably” chasing his mission and decided to torment children mentally instead. He was always popping up unexpectedly and unwantedly. 

They are in the Fire Nation alone and then they’re not. The Day of Black Sun comes and goes and it is a resounding failure. Sokka stays up all night staring at the moon, wishing she could have blocked the sun for just two minutes longer. And then he feels angry because it wasn’t Yue’s fault, it never could be. It was his. Dad was gone and the plan failed and they had to start from scratch. They had one chance and he blew it. He feels bitter and cold and numb. He wants his dad and he hates- _hates_ that Zuko gets to stay in the comforting walls of his plush palace at the side of _his_ father. He hates that Zuko is spending time with his dad, probably getting special lessons in evil, while Hakoda rots in a Fire Nation prison. 

Iroh joins their group. At first Sokka is suspicious and then he remembers the caverns and Zuko. Iroh never hurt them, he was just kinda- there. Plus Toph likes him, so the rest of the group warm up quickly.

Sokka never thought that some of the most comforting hugs of his life would come from a fire bender. He thinks it's because they run hot. But Sokka doesn’t see Iroh as a fire bender, not really. He is kind and patient and funny and has a comforting demeanor. And he’s wise. He gives the best advice despite the fact that Sokka only understands about half of the proverbs Iroh is constantly spewing. “A turtleduck always bites when the winds are too much and food is low, but they can be such good companions.” What is Sokka supposed to make of that? What does it even mean?

Iroh’s addition to the group also stokes the flames of their anger towards Zuko. Sokka hates Zuko for betraying someone who was only ever looking out for him. One night it comes out, rather violently. 

“My nephew is… troubled,” Iroh doesn’t usually talk about Zuko’s flaws. It made Sokka angry.

“What he is is trouble,” Sokka swipes his hand through the air, “flat out.”

“There is good inside him,’ Katara bristles and Iroh is pleading to a deaf jury, “he just needs some kindness and patience and then-” Sokka never heard what he Zuko might become because Katara whips around furious,

“I tried! I _tried_ to give him kindness and patience! I listened to him and believed for one second that he- that he was good! That he could be redeemable! He- he tricked me by talking about lost mothers but he could never understand! He looks sad and helpless but he is nothing but a liar, just like the rest of them!” she looks guiltily at Iroh for a moment before her face hardens and she continues, softer this time, “He is the _worst_ of them. He is a cobra disguised as a garden snake, waiting in the grass to strike you after you trust. I will never forgive him for what he has done to us, to me” she turns back and Iroh is silent and stiff but he tells them.

Sokka can’t remember if it was during or after dinner but he remembered needing to throw up. Iroh told them Zuko wasn’t a liar and that his mom was gone. And then he told them more. About a child and a father and suffering. About a hand hiding flames reaching down to brush away tears before causing their evaporation. Sokka is sick and Katara looks away. Aang throws up. Iroh is resigned, “I shouldn’t have looked away.”

Sokka doesn’t think there was anything else Iroh could have done then look away. Why force oneself to watch that horrific abuse of love. Sokka doesn’t know how to feel about Zuko anymore but now he understands him, fully. 

Sokka knows Zuko.

Update: Sokka does not know Zuko. They arrived and Zuko was too perfect with too perfect hair and servants were joking and Zuko isn’t eating or sleeping. He’s also the _Fire Lord_ apparently. And he’s so scarily different from the hot headed, yelling teenager Sokka knew him as. The political talks were long and arduous and horrible. Zuko thinks they won the war and Sokka goes right back to hating him, just with less fire. He understands Zuko this time. He’ll know what to say and how Zuko will respond. But then things move too quickly and too slowly for Sokka's taste. Zuko has a breakdown and there's another Agni Kai and it's horrible, really truly horrible. But Zuko seems lighter than he has ever been. He is to be the Crown Prince again.

They attend this fancy ceremony where people have two faces for some reason and Sokka feels more than a little lost but then Zuko steps up on stage and starts _monologuing._ Everyone in the crowd is silent when he jumps off the stage, almost collapses, and walks away. 

Sokka figures out where Zuko went and figures out that no matter how many times he convinces himself that he _knows_ Zuko, he is always proven wrong.

So Sokka is chasing Zuko and Crazy Blue Fire not just to prevent a civil war, but to hopefully, finally understand fucking prince Zuko.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> poggers !! you read it. what did you think ? :]


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